Mission Minded: Forward

 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The prize that we are running for this summer is to glorify God's name among a community that is not familiar with the hope that is offered in Jesus Christ. If I give my kids and their parents an idea of the hope that I have in the future glory I will receive for eternity (Romans 8:18), than I have won my race for this summer. I will be the first to say that this summer has been a hard and challenging race; we are challenged with finding the strength and endurance to make it day after day, dealing with small issues that, it our minds, we blow out of proportion, and simply fighting the daily fight against Satan's attacks. I am humbled in my race to rely completely on my Lord for the strength to run, fight, and stay focused on my prize.

but those who trust in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.

 - Isaiah 40:31

God put this verse on my heart in a time of weakness and hopelessness, God never tells us that we won't trip up and grow weary in our race when we run for Him (Isaiah 40:28-31, Romans 7:21). So, in this time of need, God told me to trust and love Him and now in every situation, I as myself "Because I love my Lord, how will I handle this?" When I run the race with my eyes on God, my strength will be renewed, and he will push me forward to my prize.

Mission Anchorage: Week 5

Well, we're half way through the summer and God's works for the summer are coming to fruition. The lunch program serves as a base to get us to impact the kid's lives and begin to have important conversations with them. Each kid has a different and unique story, but the one commonality is a source of pain and hardship whether it's family problems, health problems, or social problems. Our goal at the parks is to create a safe and encouraging environment for the kids through Christ's love. They recognize this and soak up what we have to say when we speak into their lives.

One thing that God has revealed to me this summer is the importance of having an eternal perspective when living out the Great Commission. (Check out this youtube video) If I live as though eternity matters most, I will take every single opportunity I get in my short life here on earth to share with others about their own eternity. To share with the lost, how fulfilling life can be if they lived for Christ. To share with other Christians, how much I care for them and how much I want to see Christ shine through us more. To share with anyone, no matter what their walk looks like, how to better live for Christ. Since I've gained this perspective, God has blessed me with conversation after conversation that has proved to push us closer to him.

This isn't a perspective for missionaries or ministers or pastors; this is a perspective that all Christians should have no matter where God has them. I hope and pray that I maintain this perspective when I go back to my campus and to my friends and family and that I encourage others to live with the same eternal perspective.

"I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

- John 5:25

And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.

- 1 John 2:25

Mission Minded: Multiply

"Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

- Matthew 28:18-20 (HCSB)

It was pointed out to me that there is no Matthew 28:21. The Great Commission is a straight forward command to go and make disciples, nothing more and nothing less. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is our assignment to make other disciples. The two distinctive sides of Jesus' ministry is growing closer to his father and pouring into his disciples and the people around him (through going, baptizing, and teaching). We can grow closer to God all day going to church, reading our Bibles, and praying in our quiet times, but that's only fulfilling half of Jesus' example. We cannot be poured into any more if we are not pouring out to begin with. A disciple is a disciple maker.

  

Taking it back to grade school, lets look at the power of multiplication. If a great preacher were to lead 3,000 people to Christ in a nightly evangelism gathering, it would take 6,388 years to see 7 billion people saved, which is about the population of the world. If a disciple maker were to make one disciple a year and send him to do the same thing (essentially doubling each year), it would take 33 years to see 7 billion disciples made. If Jesus knew what he was doing in his time on earth, than following his example of multiplication is likely the best choice.

"God made you the way you are; He has provided and will continue to provide you with everything you need to accomplish the task. Jesus commands you to look at the people around you and start making them into disciples. Obviously, only God can change people's hearts and make them want to become followers. We just have to be obedient in making the effort to teach them, even though we still have plenty to learn ourselves."

- Francis Chan, Multiply

Our ministry at the parks throughout Anchorage doesn't end at the "ABC's of Salvation." We are passing these Bible stories from one generation to another so that they can make a new generation of discipleship makers. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us to "be [his] witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Therefore, in order to impact all corners of the world, I must have a world perspective in discipleship making, and that is through multiplication.  

"You are the light of the world."

This is our second summer to be out hosting the lunch program at Arctic-Benson Park. At the beginning of last summer, the park was overrun with homeless (street) people and it was dirty, dark, and dangerous for children to be at. Throughout the summer, we made it out goal to make the park a safe and enjoyable place for the children to get out and play during the summer; at the end of the summer, we had many people from the surrounding community tell us that they saw in us "a light" that made the park a safer place for the children. That "light" is the love of Christ working though us in Anchorage.

Returning to Arctic-Benson Park this summer has been very encoraging. We have many kids returning from last summer and some new kids, which is great! But the most encouraging thing to see this summer is the continued impact on the community as a whole from last summer. We see so many more people come through the park and much fewer street people come through. Seeing God work in the lives of the kids is awesome, but also getting to see Christ's love changing the community around the park is so encouraging!

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

-Matthew 5:14-16

God has been revealing to me that the harvest is plentiful and in huge need of workers in the city of Anchorage and to the ends of Alaska. We are lights to the darkness of Alaska and the light that we shine is the love of that Jesus Christ shows us.

Mission Minded: Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

The great commission tells us to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [Jesus has commanded us]" (Matt. 28:19-20). If we are to go forward doing as Jesus once did we must imitate all that Jesus did in his ministry. Throughout the his ministry, we see the importance of love (Matt. 5:43-48, 18:10-14, 22:36-40); we also see the importance of love in Paul's letters (1 Cor. 13, Col. 3:12-17). Therefore, to imitate the examples of ministry that we've been given, we must put love first.

I discovered last summer, through the simple act of handing out a free meal to a child, how powerful small acts of Christ-like love can be. Taking that idea home, I made it a point to display Christ's love in every action of my life. If Christ's love is strong enough to save me from certain death and bring me to life, than it is strong enough to impact any life and any circumstance.

This summer, no matter where you are, make it a point to display Christ's love and "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13:13

God's Divine Plan

     Yesterday I made the trip up the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage for the 10th time or so. This stretch of highway is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway I’ve seen in my life and God continues to speak to me through His creation. One well known facts about Alaska is that it is a land that leaves you speechless and it is beauty that you can’t capture in pixels. As I look out on Alaska reflecting God’s glory, I remember God’s plan of His creation; that is, to reflect God’s glory. We are all a part of God’s grand composition and we live to glorify our master. God’s plan has trials in it to make me rely on Him for strength. God’s plan has grace in it to lead me to sing praise to Him. God’s plan has community in it to bring us closer to Him. God’s plan has beauty, such as Alaska, in it to remind me of His omnipotence. God’s plan leads us to one purpose and that purpose is to glorify Him.
    
If we live with an awareness of God’s plan for our lives, we don’t have to walk through life blindly. We take steps forward that are glorifying to God and by doing so, we remain in God’s divine plan.

Kodiak Crab Fest

Our first leg of missions this summer took place in Kodiak Alaska, a small town on Kodiak Island. Our focus this past week has been on the Kodiak Crab Fest which is a five day festival on the harbor. Alaska Missions partnered with a Frontier Baptist Church to serve at the festival as well as go out to the community for service projects.

God has already began to move in powerful ways this summer; we were blessed with two amazing teams from Louisiana and Missouri that created a great environment to kick off the summer. God has also worked wonders in team bonding with the summer missionaries; I am beyond excited to serve with this team this summer and to see what God has in store for Anchorage. God has also been moving in my life in powerful ways; He has shown me the meaning of iron sharpening iron for me specifically. Much like a rock tumbling under the tide coming in and out, the rough edges are smoothed out by other rocks. God has put me in this specific spot with the people I'm with to smooth out the areas in my service that need to be.

Please pray for Frontier Baptist Church as they continue to reach out to the community of Kodiak.

Thank you,
Patrick Tayne

How can you pray?

One of the most important components of mission outreaches is prayer. We can go the whole summer giving free meals to kids and telling them stories from the Bible and that would be great! But, imagine how much more we could impact these lives with God's involvement. So what better way to involve God than ask Him daily for His divine guidance and intervention.

Ways that you could pray at any point this summer:
-Pray for the physical strength, spiritual endurance, and for Christ's love to be reflected through the summer missionaries this summer.

-Pray for the leadership to remain within God's guidance and direction of the mission this summer.

-Pray for the mission teams that come every week to have spiritual experiences that bring them closer to God.

-Pray for the kids at the park that we will be building relationships with all summer to see the life changing love of Christ.

-Pray for the people of Anchorage and of Alaska to feel the movement of God in Alaska on a personal level.


Summer Team:
Stu Suddeth (summer missionary coordinator)
Morgan Suddeth (summer missionary coordinator)
Kristen Habermehl
Courtney Munson
Emma Nystrom
Meredith Fick
Levi Miller
Zach Haynie
Earl Wiser
RJ Osborne
Cody Hammond


I encourage you to pray for our team by name this summer. On behalf of our whole team, we covet your prayers this summer; and we thank you in advance for your prayers and support.

God Bless,
Patrick Tayne

So, what are we doing this summer?

One of AK Missions' many outreaches is called Mission Anchorage. Mission Anchorage is a 9 week summer lunch program that provides free lunch 5 days a week for kids under the age of 18. Each day we make hundreds of brown bag lunches and then split up to different parks throughout Anchorage and serve lunch to tons of kids. In addition, we share a story from the Bible and simply spend some time building relationships with these kids. Each week, we have a different mission team join us (usually from the lower 48) to help us invest time into these kids.
Every one of the parks that we work at is in a low-income area of Anchorage. Across the different parks, we have families from all sorts of ethnic, religious, and family backgrounds, but one constant is that the majority of the kids at our parks have not experienced the love of Christ. The goal of this summer outreach is that these kids and their families begin to understand more about the root of the love that we serve them out of. Last summer, we had the privilege of bringing many of the kids at our parks to know Jesus in a personal relationship as well as invest in them after their decision to express the importance of their pursuit to know Him more.

Anchorage (and all of Alaska) is far from the Bible-belt that I am use to as a Texas. Many of these kids were hearing the name of Jesus Christ for the first time in their lives; their parents were hearing the story of what Jesus Christ has done for them for the first time. This summer, we desire to tell His story to more people that haven't heard it yet and share the love that Jesus first showed us.

If you pour yourself out for the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness

and your gloom be as the noonday.

                        ~Isaiah 58:10

Please continue to pray for this summer and for spiritual, logistical, and financial preparation in our team leading up to this summer.

Thank you and God bless you!

Patrick Tayne

Back to Alaska!

Hi friends,

As many of you know, I am returning to Alaska for another summer! But before we get to that, here's what God has been doing in my life since last summer.

Last summer, I felt God's calling on my life towards worship ministry. I spent my fall semester searching for opportunities to involve myself with worship ministry, further than I had been involved before. In early November, God opened a door for me to serve at New Life Church in Denton and he made it clear that I was to follow that opportunity. Since I began the internship in December, God has grown me immensely in worship ministry and even some in youth ministry and discipleship.

Once I had settled into the internship, God began to put Alaska on my heart daily, so I decided (after 5 months of prayer for guidance on whether or not to return) that I needed to return to Alaska again this summer. As of mid-February, I've been accepted as a North American Mission Board student missionary and I will be returning to Alaska this summer!

As for support/fundraising, I'm giving out "Pray for Alaska" wristbands for donations. Please contact me if you'd like to support me in prayer (I can add you to my e-mail list) or if you would like to help me financially.

Most importantly, I'm not the only person doing this mission trip, you are too. You may not be in Alaska, but prayers don't know distance. I'm inviting you to involve yourself with God's work in Alaska this summer. Do this mission trip with me this summer!

I look forward to what God has in store this summer!

God Bless,

C. Patrick Tayne